Kish Exit

My husband switch jobs and because of that he had to cancel all our visa's as we are under his sponsorship.

I was able to get a new employer who sponsored my visa, so mine was not an issue however for him his visa took time and thus the need to exit.

There are options whether in Oman or Kish. My husband and kids already exited and Oman and still did not get the visa. For the 2nd time around, he chose Kish. 

I had to accompany them as he has to wait for his employment visa and I had to bring the kids back on tourist visa. He can only process the kids residence visa after his visa is stamped in the passport.

Prior to going we googled about kish and experiences of Filipino's in Kish.

We got a round trip ticket visa Kish airlines for AED 750 each. 

at the Dubai airport terminal 2, waiting to board

 It is a Muslim country so if you are a female remember to bring a shellah with you to cover your head and a long cardigan thats covers your butt, no tight fitting clothes as well.

arrival at Kish airport

No visa is required for the first 14 days after which you have to get a visa for AED 100.

Upon arrival at the airport you will be ushered to board a bus going to Farabi Hotel. This is the hotel linked to the airlines. If you opt to change the hotel, you can do so after the passengers are dropped off at Farabi.

As we arrive very late in the night/ early morning, 12am, we opted to just stay in Farabi Hotel.At the hotel, passport will be collected. Then you will be called one by one to pay a deposit of AED 100. The cost of stay is AED 40 per night. First night is free. There is also free breakfast of bread, butter etc. although it is the same food everyday.

 You will then be assigned to a room, you cannot choose who will be your room mates as they will assign you to whatever room is available.

For us as we were a family, we took one room to ourselves. Before travelling, we were advised to bring bedsheets, pillow cases and blankets. We read horror stories of bed bugs in the hotels in Kish. Thank God our room did not have any although we had to change our sheets as it was really filthy.

this is how they spend the day

our room

There is a cleaner who knocks every morning to clean your room. Hubby opted to borrow the mop instead to clean the room himself. Although they did clean the toilet. You also can exchange your bedsheets and blankets.

hubby cleaning the room.

There is a restaurant in Farabi with meals ranging from AED 11-15. We opt to go to the nearby Venus Hotel where there is a Filipino restaurant, same price as well. Also a Venus mall near the hotel.

We got a Kish island tour on our first day so we can enjoy the island. The cost of the tour is AED 10 per person and you ride a van which will bring you to tourist spots in Kish. The tour can be booked at  Venus Hotel. It was worth it, the weather was just a drag as it was really hot and humid. The kids were complaining.

There was also a beach nearby our hotel which we explored the 2nd day although not allowed to swim but you can enjoy water activities. We just walked in the seaside and took photos.

 There is no free wifi at the hotel but you can purchase for 24hours use at AED 20. They will give you a username and password. However this was really painfully slow. You can only check your emails and whatsapp. You can open instagram and maybe post a max of 1 photo. This is helpful if you are waiting for your visa and has to constantly check your emails. You can also purchase an Iran Sim for AED  30 which will give you data. There are also internet shops in the hotel at AED 2 for 1 hour. The internet shops are mostly full. 

Once you receive your most awaited visa to travel back to UAE, you go to the internet shop to have it printed at AED 1 per page. Check the email address of the hotel so it can be sent directly there. If you are checked in at Farabi it is very easy to go to the Kish Airline travel agency which is just beside the internet shop, to book your flight back to UAE. If you are early, you can book your flight same day otherwise, you have to spend one more night in Kish. 

For me, overall it was not as bad as have read in blogs or forums or maybe because I was only there for 3 days. But for other people who have been there for quite some time, that is a different story. My husband stayed there for a week and he was so bored. What more for people who have stayed longer.

If you happen to exit in Kish, I suggest you enjoy your time, especially if you are sure that you will be leaving soon anyway. Don't let this experience get the best of you rather consider it a chance to experience new things, gain new friends and explore. Just don't go out alone. Also do not forget to buy souvenirs. The popular "pasalubong" is this cheese curls from Kish which you can find everywhere. The cheese curls cost AED 10 at the airport wherein it costs only AED 5 in other shops. And for me who is collecting ref magnets, I had to buy one to remember this by.